A Spectacular Adirondack Hike With A Historic Fire Tower Boasts The Best Views Of Tupper Lake

The Adirondacks are one of New York's best mountain ranges, as it's beloved for its striking natural landscape, wild untamed forests, and towering peaks. If you're looking for a heart-pounding High Peak climb, you'll definitely find it here, but not every breathtaking mountaintop view requires a long technical hike. To admire the land from above without scrambling over dangerous rocks or spending hours on the trail, Mount Arab may be the perfect trek for you. You'll even catch amazing views of the sprawling Tupper Lake atop an incredible fire tower. 

Plug the coordinates 44.213710, -74.595837 into your GPS, and try to snag one of the parking spots in the tiny lot. Head across the street to the trailhead sign and follow the arrows. The hike up Mount Arab is only about 2 miles in total, and it's a fairly easy route, perfect for bringing the whole family for an adventure in the mountains. It can be a lot harder in the winter, when everything is covered in snow and ice, but it might just be worth it to see the landscape transform into a wonderland. Over five hours from New York City and 45 minutes from Saranac Lake (home of one of America's oldest winter carnivals), Mount Arab is truly in the wilderness — but that's what makes it such a perfect spot. At the top of this 2,500-foot-tall summit is an old fire tower. From there, you can see the woods covering the rolling mountains for miles around.

There definitely are trails that are only for experienced hikers, but the journey up Mount Arab is not considered one of them. Children, new hikers, and dogs are regular sightings along this path — but that doesn't mean it's just a walk in the forest. While there's a fair amount of wide flat trails with pretty woodsy views, you'll be walking up some steep wooden and stone stairs on the slope along the way, clambering over large rocks and boulders and potentially traversing some muddy spots as you go.

When you reach the summit, you'll find an old fire tower stretching up even higher into the sky. Exactly how much you can see from the top depends on the weather, but on bright afternoons, you'll see incredible views of the landscape, including chilly lakes like Eagle Crag and Tupper. You'll head back down the way you came, but before you leave, you should walk a little further until you see a bench on a rocky overlook. While it's not quite as impressive as the views from the top of the tower, it's the perfect pace to relax and celebrate reaching the summit.

If the prospect of making your way to the top of Mount Arab makes you hungry for more Adirondack hikes, you're in luck. This quick trek is actually a part of two different hiking challenges: the Tupper Lake Hiking Triad and the Fire Tower Challenge. If you're looking for a fun, easy adventure, the Tupper Lake Hiking Triad is for you. As its name implies, this challenge involves summiting the three mountains around the beautiful Tupper Lake. The other two are Goodman Mountain and Coney Mountain. The latter is a must-see in its own right, as long as you're planning to stay the night. It is considered the best place in the region to look up at the night sky and appreciate how little light pollution there is so far North of New York City. When done, you can submit the dates of your climb to tupperlake.com and receive a special patch for your achievement.

If you want to really test your skills and admire some breathtaking views, try the Fire Tower Challenge from the Glens Falls-Saratoga Chapter Adirondack Mountain Club. This epic journey takes you all around New York, making you climb mountains in the Catskills and the Adirondacks to find old fire towers. Be prepared, it's going to take awhile. There is a grand total of 32 mountains to climb, including Mount Arab.